Anakin's Dilemma
by kspadawan
Summary: Anakin is having trouble keeping his feelings for Obi-Wan to himself. So, when the Council sends the pair, alone, on a mission to a planet that is days away, Anakin must protect his former Master from the imminent threat aboard their tiny prison: himself.


**Anakin's Dilemma**

Rating: M

Warnings: Slash! Don't like, don't read!

Disclaimer: Let's just say that if the boys had belonged to me, RoTS would have gone quite differently. Please don't sue me, GL!

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Anakin Skywalker was in trouble.

No, scratch that. He was in _peril_. Horrible, deep, dark, _unending_ peril. He was being tortured, slowly, gruelingly. Had been for hours now, and the worst part was that it wasn't even half-way over yet. And his torturer was ruthless, constantly and unflinchingly inventing new cruel and merciless ways to cause him misery.

And yet Anakin could not hate him for it. How could he, when the insufferable man didn't even _realize _what he was doing to him_…_?

Tapping his foot in a nervous tick, Anakin searched his prison for something, _anything_ to distract him from-

"Anakin?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Anakin fixed his eyes on a dark spot on the ceiling, unable to look anywhere near his tormentor. "Yes, Obi-Wan?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A few weeks ago, Anakin would have been ecstatic to be assigned on a solo mission with his former master. Heck, he'd even have been happy to go on an assignment with the incessant Gungan chatterbox _Jar Jar Binks _tagging along if it meant spending precious time with his Obi-Wan.

Because that's what Obi-Wan was. _His_. The naïve Jedi Master just didn't know it yet. But he would, soon, whether Anakin wanted him to or not. Lately, to Anakin's ever-increasing horror, the reasons of why he should keep his feelings to himself were steadfastly evolving into reasons why he _shouldn't_.

'_He can't know, he's my best friend!' _had changed to _'He's my best friend, he needs to know.' _

'_Attachment is forbidden; beware the Dark Side, Jedi,' _was now _'Hang the Council and hang the rules, attachment to Obi-Wan rocks, damn it!' _

And finally, _'Oh _Force_ is he sexy…'_

...

Well, that thought hadn't really changed much.

The point was that Anakin was having extreme self-control issues around his best friend and if he wanted to keep his feelings a secret, he was going to have to keep his distance…

So, naturally, the Council had assigned them a mission involving the smallest ship Anakin had ever laid eyes on and nearly seventy-two hours of flight time.

"Isn't it great, Anakin?" Obi-Wan had asked, blue-gray eyes shining with excitement. "Just the two of us? We'll finally have time to watch that HoloVid you've been dying to catch!"

Anakin gulped. Yeah, really great, Obi-Wan. Just the two of us squashed onto a tiny sleepcouch, crammed together on this flying sardine can. Let's just hope you don't make any sudden movements lest I jump you against your will.

"Come on," Obi-Wan said, tugging gently on his hand. "Let's go get packed."

'_No, no, no!' _he'd shouted internally as his traitorous fingers wrapped possessively around Obi-Wan's smaller hand in turn. Oh, _Gods _was he in trouble…

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Anakin?"

"Yes, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan glanced up from the datapad he'd been reading for the past hour and a half – time which Anakin had used for an internal pep-talk on keeping himself _to _himself for their remaining flight time – and shot his younger friend a concerned look. "Are you all right, Anakin?" he asked.

"Never better!" Anakin cheered, studying the intricate – not – tile work on their temporary prison's floor.

Obi-Wan frowned, placing the datapad on the small table next to the two-person sleepcouch he was sitting on. "Hmmm. Are you sure? You sound…strained, almost. And what are you doing over there? You've been sitting on that rock-hard kitchen chair for hours, now."

"Uh-huh," he answered distractedly, picking at his nails.

Rolling his eyes, the Jedi Master let the matter drop. "Anyway, do you want to watch the 'Vid now?" he asked.

Squirming in his seat at the dangerous idea, Anakin darted a quick look between Obi-Wan and the small space that was left beside him on the sleepcouch. "_No!_" he protested, blue eyes widening in alarm. Obi-Wan blinked, raising an eyebrow, startled by his vehemence. "I mean, uh… not right now."

Following his former padawan's line of vision, Obi-Wan frowned. "What, do I have bad breath or something?"

It was Anakin's turn to roll his eyes. "Of course not, Obi-Wan. I love the way you smell."

Obi-Wan blushed, his lips puckering into a confused pout.

'_Oh Force, look away, look away!'_

Frowning, Obi-Wan walked the short distance to the kitchen area of the ship. "Then _what _is wrong, Anak-" Having reached the table, he trailed off upon seeing his face. His best friend's cheeks were turning crimson and his normally piercing blue eyes were glazed over and out of focus. "Are you _sick_?" Obi-Wan demanded with widening eyes, panic in his voice.

'_Yes.' _Anakin scowled. "I _said_ I'm fi-" He snapped his mouth shut with an audible click in order to swallow – hard – as his Master leaned forward and placed a hand on Anakin's forehead. It was only there for a second, though, as Anakin flinched away from the touch, shooting out of his chair and backing away a few steps.

Obi-Wan gasped, startled. "Anakin! What are you doing? You're burning up!"

Anakin shook his head. "No, I'm-"

"But you are!" Obi-Wan took a step toward him, raising his hand in concern.

Anakin batted it away. "Damn it, Obi-Wan, leave me alone!"

Obi-Wan paused, shocked, rocking back on his heels at the outburst. Blue-gray eyes widened further as he took in his friend's disheveled appearance. He glanced from the robotic hand that was clenched in his hair to the wild, almost predatory look in Anakin's eyes. Shaking his head in deep concern, Obi-Wan was hardly aware of the glistening tears in his eyes. "You're not all right, Anakin."

Well, no, he wasn't. Only, he couldn't exactly say that to Obi-Wan now, could he? Shaking his head in dismissal of the problem, Anakin attempted to lie again. "I'm _fi-_"He trailed off upon seeing the look in Obi-Wan's eyes. His former padawan was lying to him, and he knew it. Anakin sighed shakily, running the palm of his flesh hand over his face. "No, I'm not. Just… give me some space right now, okay?"

Obi-Wan's eyes widened further, the horror he was feeling clearly written all over his face. "I don't know what I did, Anakin, but whatever it was, please know that I am _so _sorry."

Anakin was already shaking his head. "No, no, _no_! You didn't do anything, Obi-Wan; it's all me, my fault." Gods, as if he could _ever_ do something offensive.

Obi-Wan frowned, puzzled. "Then, let me-"

"_No!_" Anakin shouted, taking another step back as Obi-Wan continued to pursue him. Regretting his sharp tone immediately, Anakin sighed, eyes softening in repentance. The look of deep hurt in his Obi-Wan's eyes went straight to his heart. "I'm sorry, Obi," he said, his voice soft and gentle. "But you need to stay away from me right now. I…" he trailed off, swallowing in terror at the very idea of ever doing what he had to say next. "I don't want to hurt you."

Obi-Wan surprised him with a quick laugh, shaking his head in denial at what was said. "You would never hurt me, Anakin; I know you."

"Do you?" Anakin asked before he could shut his mouth.

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied, confident, and closed the distance between them. Frozen in shock, Anakin could only watch, horrified, as Obi-Wan lifted his hand again. "Now, let me help you, An-" It was only a small touch, really. A gentle hand on his friend's burning cheek. But as soon as his skin made contact, Obi-Wan knew something was wrong. Perhaps it was the way Anakin sucked in a shaky breath upon his touch that was alarming him. Or, even more troubling, the look in his darkening eyes as his hand jerked up to caress the back of his own. What he did know, however, as the taller man slowly, tantalizingly, drew his wrist toward his lips, was that Anakin's actions were beginning to make him feel light-headed.

The knowledge that he needed to stop, _now_, before he did something they would both regret was there, at the forefront of his mind, but somehow – currently, he was blaming it on the glassy-eyed, pleasured look in Obi-Wan's eyes but another part of him knew that it had already been a foregone conclusion the moment he'd stepped into the ship, close on his Obi-Wan's heels – he just couldn't find the willpower to do so. The naughtier side of him insisted that he didn't _want _to, anyway. Anakin brushed his lips against the sensitive skin of the older Jedi's wrist, causing Obi-Wan to gasp in surprised pleasure.

"_Oh."_ Anakin wasn't sure whether Obi-Wan had meant to voice his liking of the sensation or if he'd finally understood Anakin's intentions toward him but either way, it didn't matter. The shakily-spoken syllable shattered the last of his wavering resolve, pushing him completely over the edge.

Obi-Wan's only warning was the smoldering look in his former padawan's blue eyes; before he could blink, he was bodily shoved backward and he found himself roughly pinned from chest to shin against the wall. His shaky gasp was cut short as Anakin's lips crashed against his own. Wide-eyed and shocked into stillness as Anakin's lips moved against his feverishly, Obi-Wan knew he needed to put a stop to this. This behavior went completely against the Jedi Code. Yet… as the feelings for the young man closest to his heart that he'd carefully suppressed over the past few years came rushing to his mind full-force, he knew he would give everything to his Anakin, no matter the costs.

Fond thoughts, warm and gentle and all revolving around the person flushed up against him had him relaxing at last, eyelids fluttering closed of their own accord. Shifting his arms from resting against Anakin's firm chest, he wrapped them around his neck, fingertips brushing gently against the tips of his hair, and shyly applied a small pressure of his own against Anakin's mouth.

Anakin's response was immediate. Moaning deep in his throat, he dragged his hands from gripping Obi-Wan's shoulders down to grasp his hips firmly, pulling the smaller man more tightly against him. Obi-Wan's tiny mewl of pleasure had the younger man groaning against his full lips; the small sound had shot straight downward and with a mental groan, Anakin became aware of his suddenly uncomfortably tight pants.

Obi-Wan squirmed a bit, having felt quite clearly Anakin's reaction to their proximity. Anakin sucked in a sharp breath through his nose and in one swift movement, he lifted Obi-Wan's thighs until his legs were wrapped securely around his waist. He broke the kiss with a loud gasp as Obi-Wan jerked his hips upward in response. Catching his breath, Anakin wasted no time, kissing a line down Obi-Wan's jaw to his collarbone.

Tightening his arms around the younger Jedi's neck, Obi-Wan smiled softly and wondered if Anakin's chest was feeling as warm and full as his. Suddenly needing to put voice to his feelings, Obi-Wan did not hesitate to say the words he had wanted to say for years.

"I love you."

Anakin gasped and lifted his head up quickly, searching the blue-gray eyes for truth. "What did you say?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "It's true, Anakin. I love you so –mmmf!" As their lips connected, Anakin shifted his arms to hold his former Master's weight and, with the aid of the Force, ran as quick as lightning to the small bedroom they were to share.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A very exhausted Obi-Wan snuggled closer to the sweat-covered body beside him. "So, you weren't sick?"

"Nope."

Obi-Wan released a long, slow breath, relieved. "I was worried."

Anakin smiled softly, tightening his arms around him. "I know. You're always fussing over me."

"Mmmm." Obi-Wan beamed. "That's because I-"

"I know. And I love you, too."

Obi-Wan gasped, straightening immediately. "You…?"

Anakin's eyes softened as his lips turned upward in a tender smile. "Yes. Very much. I always have."

Obi-Wan's face went from shocked to pleasantly surprised and finally settled on positively beaming. It was the happiest look Anakin had ever seen coming from him.

Smirking, Anakin continued. "And I-" Whatever he had intended on saying was cut off when Obi-Wan's lips closed over his in a searing kiss.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hours later, as the credits rolled down the small screen in front of them, Obi-Wan could only stare in horror. Sensing his distress, Anakin took one look down at his face and chuckled, tightening his arms around his lover.

"Anakin…" Obi-Wan blinked, forcing himself back to reality, where things made sense and being a Jedi did not mean that you were a drug-addicted crazy. "Who wrote this 'Vid?" he asked, glaring with murderous intent at the picture of a goat on the box on the table in front of them.

Anakin shrugged, still amused. "I dunno, Obi. Why?"

Obi-Wan shook his head in an attempt to clear it of the utter nonsense he had just viewed. "This insult of a HoloVid stinks of the Sith. No one else views the Jedi in such a _degrading_ manner…right?"

Anakin nodded dreamily. In truth, he hadn't been paying much attention to the 'Vid; he was still on cloud nine. For the past two hours, his thoughts had been primarily focused on their actions in the bedroom earlier that evening and he'd been concentrating on the heavenly feeling of holding Obi-Wan in his arms at long last.

Obi-Wan quirked an eyebrow. "You weren't watching the 'Vid, were you?" he asked, smirking.

Anakin grinned, unrepentant. "Nope."

"Oh, Anakin." Shaking his head with a sigh, Obi-Wan twisted in his lover's arms and hopped to his feet. Smiling fondly at the younger man, he took his larger hand in his own and tugged, pulling him gently toward the room that he was sure Anakin had no intention of leaving within the next twenty-four hours at least. "What am I going to do with you?"

Grinning like a madman, Anakin allowed himself to be led. "That's what I'd like to find out."

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**A/N**: In case you haven't figured it out already, the movie they were watching is The Men Who Stare at Goats. Probably one of the worst movies I've ever seen, but I was just dying to write my favorite Jedi's reactions to such an insult.

Hmm. Just so you know, my muse definitely has a split personality. She tends to flit from one fandom to the next and lately, Star Wars has not been her first choice. However, perhaps if I get enough encouragement from you about this random brain expulsion *points upward*, she'll stay focused and I'll be able to churn out the next chapter of Haematic. So, Review?

Thanks for reading!


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